WALKING the aisles of his local supermarket, Mark Lizotte, or Diesel as he’s more widely known, still gets the tingles when he hears his songs playing on the speakers.
“It’s a really strange thing”, he told News Of The Area.
“It’s like, I made the song here, and then I go over there, and I hear it playing out of the speaker on the ceiling.
“That’s crazy to me. I’m still amazed at that.
“I still don’t take that for granted.”
A regular on the Port Macquarie music scene, Diesel’s highly anticipated return comes this September as he takes to the stage at the Players Theatre as part of his “Diesel, By Request” tour.
“I just love Port Macquarie,” he said.
“It’s a great spot and I’m really glad it was put on this tour because I always champion for it.”
A unique spin on the typical concert experience, ticket holders are given the opportunity to create his set list, with all songs requested prior to the evening.
It is a format he has followed in the past, but it was an analogue experience then, featuring pencils, paper and a cumbersome mess of handwritten requests as he entered the venue.
This time he has used the power of technology to create a much-cleaner, free-flowing experience.
An email with instructions will be sent in the lead-up to the concert explaining how ticket holders can share their requests through his website.
It’s a tailored experience created by the people in the room.
“It’s funny, one song might be really popular in one area for no reason at all.
“[By Request] gives me a reason to get into all the nooks and crannies and, of course, I’ll be playing all of the hits.”
Crowd favourites to make an appearance include Tip of My Tongue, Come To Me, and Man Alive; songs that hold dear memories for many.
When it comes to the song he holds most dear, it’s not one typically requested.
“Darling of the Universe has a mysterious thing about it.
“I remember writing it very quickly, like bolts of lightning. I was feeling grief so maybe it was a way of dealing with that.
“My family and close circle of friends say ‘can you play that song?’, so that’s a really nice and special one for me.”
It’s the connection to the audience that fills Diesel’s cup, which is why he’s planning some “shout-outs”.
“It’s fun to connect a song with a person or sometimes with a bunch of people [and to say] ‘‘you don’t know each other, but you’re all connected because you all asked for this song. You guys should get to know each other’.”
Releasing 17 studio albums, winning six Aria Awards, performing over 2000 live shows and racking up a whopping 100 million+ streams, Diesel has had an impressive career.
But after all of the fanfare and accolades, all he still wants is for people to leave his show having had a good time.
By Rikki WALLER
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